Effect of Instrumental Lo-Fi Music on Stroop Interference Performance in University Students (LOFI)

May 14, 2026 updated by: Canadian University Dubai

Effects of Instrumental Lo-Fi Background Music Versus Silence on Cognitive Interference During the Stroop Colour-Word Task in University Students

This study aims to examine the effects of instrumental lo-fi background music compared to silence on cognitive interference performance among university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a lo-fi music condition or a silent condition while completing a paper-based Stroop Color-Word task. The main outcome will be the level of cognitive interference, measured by the number of correct responses during the interference condition. The study seeks to determine whether background music improves or impairs selective attention and cognitive control.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study investigates the impact of instrumental lo-fi background music on cognitive interference during a Stroop Color-Word task in university students. A between-subjects experimental design will be used, where participants are randomly assigned to either a lo-fi music condition or a silence control condition. All participants will complete three timed sections of the Stroop task: word reading, color naming, and color-word interference.

The Stroop interference score will be calculated based on the number of correct responses within a fixed time period. The study focuses on selective attention and cognitive control processes, examining whether background music facilitates or hinders performance.

Participants will be undergraduate students with normal or corrected vision and hearing. Standardized procedures will be followed to ensure consistency, including the use of headphones for all participants to control environmental conditions.

The findings of this study may contribute to understanding how environmental factors such as background music influence cognitive performance in academic settings.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

72

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Aged between 18 and 24 years (verified via self-report at screening)

    • Currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at Canadian University Dubai
    • Self-reported proficiency in English sufficient to understand task instructions and perform colour-naming responses
    • Self-reported normal or corrected-to-normal vision
    • Self-reported normal hearing

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • Any form of colour vision deficiency (e.g., red-green colour blindness)

    • A diagnosis of a neurological or psychological condition known to affect cognitive performance (e.g., ADHD, major depressive disorder, or learning disabilities), based on self-report
    • Current use of prescribed medication that may affect cognitive functioning, based on self-report

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Lo-Fi Music
Participants listen to instrumental lo-fi background music while performing the Stroop task.
Behavioral: Instrumental Lo-Fi Music
Participants listen to instrumental lo-fi background music through headphones while completing the Stroop color-word task under controlled conditions.
No Intervention: Silence
Participants perform the Stroop task in silence without any background music.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stroop Interference Score
Time Frame: During task completion (single session; approximately 5-7 minutes), participants complete the Stroop Color-Word Task under their assigned condition.
The Stroop interference score will be calculated as the difference between correct responses in the Color Naming and Color-Word Interference conditions. Higher scores indicate greater cognitive interference (poorer inhibitory control).
During task completion (single session; approximately 5-7 minutes), participants complete the Stroop Color-Word Task under their assigned condition.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Canadian University Dubai

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Efthymios Papatzikis, PhD, Canadian University Duba
  • Study Director: Shahad Yousif, BSc Psychology, Canadian University Dubai
  • Study Director: farah Mosalami, BSc Psychology, Canadian University Dubai

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of Interference in Serial Verbal Reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-662. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054651

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 14, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CUD-LO-FI -20

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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